Collapsible tool.



E. L. CONORD.

COLLAPSIBLE TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I. 1917.

Patented Mar.19,1918.

EUGENE I1. CONOBD, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

COLLAPSIZBLE 'rooL.

naaaooa.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mair. 19, 1918.

Application filed September 1, 1917. Serial No. 189,874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE L. CoNoRo, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, county of Union, and State of the like, in which the tool and its shank can be housed in the handle and projected therefrom for use. The object of the invention is the provision of a simple, cheap and readily manufactured tool of this character which is positive in its operation and does not readily get out of order, and the improvement of articles of this character in a number of important respects, and with the foregoing and related objects in view, my invention consists in the parts, improvements, constructions and combinations herein .set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 isa longitudinal sectional view of a tool em= bodying my invention with the tool in its pro ected position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with'the tool in retracted position, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-3, Fig. 2.

Reference numeral 10 designates the shell oi the handle, which may be formed of any suitable material, as tubin of steel or other metal, and is provided wit heads 11 and 12 secured thereto in any suitable way. In the.

form shown the heads 11 and 12 are screwthreaded to the metal shell 10, but other means of securing them together, as crimping and the like, may be resorted to, as will be readily understood. The head 12, which is preferably somewhat elongated, is r0 vided with a bore 13 for the reception 0 the shank 14 of a tool 15, here shown as a screw driver, but the tools may be adapted for various uses, as punches, chisels and the like. The shank 14 has a head 1.6 secured thereto or formed integral therewith and of a crosssection to fit the shell 10. In the form shown the head 16 is cylindrical, the shell 10 bein round. The head 16 is .provided with a %ore 17 which receives a plunger 18 having a reduced head 19 adapted to be received in the openings 20 and 21 in the shell 10. A spring 22 in the bore 17 serves to project the plunger 18. A spring 23 is interposed between the tool head 16 and the shell head 11 and serves to project the tool from the handle.

Means are provided for preventing rotation of the tool head 16 with respect to the shel1 10, and such means are preferably s5 provided as not to make an opening in the shell 10, which would result in the clogging of the device by dirt getting in through such open ng. In the form shown the shell 10 is provided with an elongated inward indentation 24 which may readily be formed as by a stamping operation, and the head 16 is provided with a groove 25 in which the indentation 24 is adapted to be received, and the head 16 may slide thereon but can not rotate with respect thereto.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing. When the device is collapsed for storage or to be placed 1n the pocket, the parts have the relation shown in Fig. 2. In order to project the tool it is only necessary to press inwardly upon the knob or finger piece 18, compressing the spring 22 and freeing the plunger from the locking hole 21, whereupon the tool and the head 16 are projected by the spring 23 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the tool head 16 being held against rotation by the spline 24 being received in the slot 25. As soon as the plunger 18 comes opposite the opening 20 it is projected therethrough by the spring 22, and the tool is held in proj'ected position by the combined action of the spring 23 and plunger 18, and is also held against rotation by the combined action of the plunger 18 in the hole 20 and the spline 24 fitting in the groove 25.

It is to be understood that changes and modifications from the precise construction shown may be resorted to within the scope of my claims and without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a collapsible tool, a hollow handle, a tool telescoping therein and comprising a head, an outwardly spring-pressed plunger in the tool head, the handle being provided with separated holes with which said plunger is adapted to register, said handle being closed except for said holes and being provided with a longitudinal inwardv indentation forming a spline, and said head having a groove formed therein to run on said spline.

vided on its interior and at a distance rom said holes with a longitudinally extending internal indentation forming a spline, the head of the tool having a groove adapted to fit over said spline, and a spring within the 1;

handleior projecting the tool into extended position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereto set my hand, this 31st day of August 1917.

EUGENE L. CONORD. 

